There are allegations that you were terminated upon CBSMarketWatch’s observation that positions in your columns overlap with the trading positions of certain hedge funds. What is your comment on these allegations?

Respectfully,

Patrick M. Byrne, Journalist

Two things, Patrick:

First, if you fashion yourself as a journalist, you need to start by getting the name of the company right. It’s MarketWatch, not CBS MarketWatch. While you were out there several years ago wearing your tin hat and hallucinating about Sith Lords, we were sold by CBS to Dow Jones.

Second, it’s not good journalism for you and your pals to make up allegations and then claim that they are allegations, so let me make this as clear as I can: I haven’t been terminated, fired, axed or let go in any way. If I had, my guess is I wouldn’t be writing this item on a Dow Jones website using a Dow Jones-issued laptop.

While I’m thrilled with my new opportunity, telling my bosses and colleagues at MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal that I will soon be leaving was one of the low points of my career. You won’t find a more first class bunch, anywhere.